Suddenly, A Breeze
by Inuyasha Cooks
Summary: A common purpose brings two groups of people together. But something strikes, lightning crashes- what brings you together can form a ghost feeling that lingers behind you as you chase the years. /secret pairing/
1. Like Water

_A/N_: This story is a bit of a change for me, it's not exactly something I'd usually wanna write or semi-publish. It doesn't really follow the path of most of what I write, in that it involves supernatural things, like powers, it has a weird structure, it's a crossover, and it's probably the only straight-up love story thing I'll ever write- looking at it, it doesn't seem to have any themes but romance. Hmm. And it involves a temporary "villain". Eesh. I also notice a lack of good stories for either series or crossovers.

An update on Leave Him For Me for anybody looking at this- the next few chapters are finished, but my laptop's battery fucking blew, and I won't be getting them up till September.

I will give a million dollars to whoever can guess the secret pairing.

By the way, this disclaimer applies: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Dragon Ball Z to Akira Toriyama. And some other things aren't mine. Like the Shiba Park Hotel. And some of the chapter titles.

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CHAPTER 1**:**

_Like Water_

It was beginning to get cold; just a slight brown chill that came up from the streets and breathed up to the trees. It was spring- but it was feeling like winter. There was snow somewhere on the horizon, but it was laying in wait, on a thin cable waiting to fall and mist.

"It's _so _COLD!" Usagi's voice whined up and fell onto Chibiusa's ears like a tick, like an insect on the back. She felt winter teeth scratch at her, in her stomach, its lazy bite and its telephone strangle; this was too _much_.

"Shut _up_!" Chibiusa shrieked, shrilly. "You keep _saying_ that! It's so annoying! It's not like it's going to _change_ because you keep _saying it_!"

Usagi's eyes sparked, and she looked at Chibiusa as though shocked that she could say that. "It's not like I'm lying," she concluded huffily, like a reluctant testament. A breathy pause as they jogged along, at that same tough pace, focused by purpose. Her eyes drifted to the trees, the streets; she bit her bottom lip and a thought in her mind became anxious. She looked at Chibiusa. "Oh God," she said, almost to herself; Chibiusa looked at her unsteadily with harsh eyes and a screwed frown. "It's so...cold!" She threw her head up, hair bouncing behind her.

"Oh my God, stop it!" Chibiusa answered, as she shook her head in defiance- like she was shaking away and denying Usagi's ridiculousness. "You just don't STOP! You're so _annoying_! Just stop it already!"

"Jeez Chibusa, you get so riled up," Usagi said, laughing brightly. She gave Chibusa that "look" that she attempted to give her sometimes- slightly sly and warning, but just coming outta the box with Usagi's brand-name ridiculousness. "Why are you so annoyed? Cool your jets!" Her eyes flicked up to the shrine; it was closing near, its tall winter build and tradition slopes in vision.

Chibiusa's feathers were ruffled, those jets wouldn't cool. "It's because _you're_ so annoying! I wish you would just shut up!" She felt her hair and looked determinedly off to the street.

"You're so mean!" Usagi cursed as they began on the stairs. "Just know that I am not annoying, you are just a bad conversationalist."

"Conversationalist!" Chibiusa pronounced, at first with difficulty, but overcoming the shaky word with confidence. "How do you have a conversation when all you're saying is 'I'm so cold and I'm such a whiny lazy BABY'!?"

Usagi's eyes narrowed. "You little dweeb! You're _lucky_ I'm not a violent girl," she huffed, watching the cloud of her breath float like a small wisp and disappear, indifferently.

"Ditto," Chibiusa answered defiantly.

Chibiusa was fiery and cool as burnt out ashes; Usagi eyed her misty and wondered where she had _gotten_ those personality traits. They seemed to glide by those never-ending steps, shrouded in cold...the bare trees were dead crow and there was simple silence. Winter sometimes struck Usagi as being creepy, lonely, ghost, but she didn't think about it much.

She huffed out some cold air and shivered as Chibiusa knocked on the door. She looked on the yard, paved with cement; saw those two crows circling the roof. She breathed out, hoping Rei might have something hot prepared to drink...hot chocolate would be good. Her thoughts settled hazily, thinking of the warmth inside.

Rei's grandpa's shuffling could be heard on the other side of the door; he opened it and peeped through a slit. "Oh, hello, girls," he said, with a grin, opening the door further to let them in.

"Hello!" Usagi piped, with a bright smile. Chibiusa gave a smile as they walked into the main room, and Rei's grandfather mentioned something about Rei's room. Some incoherent pleasantries murmured and ended as they went down the hall to Rei's bedroom, the house all stoic in its tradition and modernity. It really was a nice house.

They reached the door, Usagi busted in without a thought, opening the door as she sang loudly, "We're _hee-reee!_" The door sucked in a scene and uncovered another, and the first face Usagi's eyes caught was Rei's, cross and irritated, flashing in the eyes, sitting down on the bed and high up like a judge; she looked as though Usagi had interrupted her. Ah well, she'd get over it...then Makoto, Minako, and Ami, looking wide-eyed to different degrees, and as though in a road-day daze...Usagi and Chibusa stepped fully into the room; Usagi was about to open her mouth to say something, but stopped short of inhaling, as her eyes fell on something different, two other people. Two men, a bit older...she was taken aback, then looked at them curiously, head falling to a side like gold bars were on the other side of the balance. One was a guy with black hair, seemed to be talking but was now looking curiously at Usagi...he was wearing this neon orange...karate uniform or something. A martial artist...? Had he seen Rei for something...? The other one also had black hair, and something at once struck Usagi about him- that he was so serious, had a look about him like the sensation of thunder- he was kind of short...both of them had odd clothing and looked slightly uncomfortable- not physically awkward, but just like they sort of knew they were out of place.

"Hey, _guys_...who're you guys?" Usagi asked, blinking and turning her head slyly.

"Something the cat brought in," Minako said contemplatively, putting a steaming cup down- Minako always took her superhero lines so seriously...her bangs fell in strands across her eyes, and she looked up seriously at Usagi as she brushed them away.

Rei sparked, making an irritated gesture and inhaling. "Well, are you just gonna stand there catching flies, meatball head, or you wanna sit down and stop making everybody uncomfortable!" She motioned quickly for her to sit beside her.

"Jeez, alright- sor_-ry_, Rei," Usagi huffed, distracted from making a snappy comment by the two strangers in the room. She sat down, as somebody at the table said something like "excuse me" and the other one returned, "oh yeah, sorry" and shifting of cups was heard. Chibiusa sat down at the foot of the bed, shuffling to make herself comfortable

"Here, you let it get cold," Rei breathed, handing Usagi the mug she'd saved for her with a grain of salt in her eye.

Usagi took it and looked at the two guys; they looked back at her- one openly, and one seeming to look from a margin, although he was right in front of her. She took a sip, but made a big huffing noise and set the cup down quickly- tongue hot and numb, heat still cellophane hazy in her mouth. "So...ah...," she began, waving her tongue off with a quick fanning hand, "who are you guys? Oh yeah, my name's Usagi." She kicked her legs back and forth like a windmill with a tick as they explained themselves.

"Well, ah, I'm Goku," the one with the neon karate thing said, brightly- his voice was comforting, Usagi's ears took to it- gentle, but strong and happy, peace-making, "And this is my friend, Vegeta." He gestured to the other one, but Usagi didn't bother to look. He laughed a little nervously; he had a nice laugh, too. "We're uhm, it's glad- I mean nice- to meet you!"

"You too!" Usagi said brightly. "So what's up?" she asked, her voice slackening and lowering, casual and comfortable when she heard the brightness in his voice, a sort of return of the favor, "Why're you guys here? Wanna see the shrine?"

"They were just explaining that to us," Makoto said, sternly. She sounded as though she were talking on eggshells. Usagi noticed for the first time since the entered the room that the atmosphere was high and tense, and shaking beneath, rumbling from under the ground of its dark colored layers- that there was some serious business going on here, and the talk was something heavy. Usagi's eyes focused on the two; that gleam they had in their moments of seriousness shone like a mist. She noticed the things on the table- books like empty shells, plates of frosted cookies and crumbs, a haphazard pot and cups of hot chocolate...then the two guys, sitting like new appliances, like odd-out accessories, making familiar backgrounds stronger with contrast.

"No, not the shrine- though don't get me wrong, it really is a nice shrine...Yes, I was sorta in the middle of the beginning when you came in," he said, with a nod. A boyish look came on his face and he laughed. "Aw, now I gotta explain it _again_?" he asked, with mock disappointment.

Usagi grinned and laughed, "Sorry!"

He laughed again and waved it off. "Okay- so- mind if I take onna these?" 'Goku' asked, his eyes turning up to the girls.

"Uh, sure, go ahead," Makoto answered, shrugging and pushing the plate toward him...she leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Thankfsh," he answered, already jamming a cookie in his mouth, then taking handful by _handful_- Usagi panicked, thinking that she might not get one, so she leaned over quickly and snatched one up with an awkward movement as he spoke, sort of knocking the plate over till the other guy- "Vegeta"- held a hand up to push it back and looked at her with an odd surveillance across his eyes at which she recoiled. Goku talked on. "So, basically, we were at home, not really doing much- and, mphfg, so, we were hanging around our friend's house, who is totally a whiz at computers and a total genius, and she was- uhmpgf, looking at this space thingey- and mph, we saw this sort of cometish thing heading toward Earth, well uhmpg she did but well- these are REALLY good! Try one," he said, gesturing to Vegeta, who looked at him with electricity. He shrugged and continued, wiping his mouth crudely with the back of his hand and diving in for another helping- he seemed as though he'd lived in the woods his whole life, had felt a free air and lived golden, never dipped into restrictions- his eyes reflected something like that, so did his movements. "So, ghsmph, well anyway, she was taking like- uhm, a reading on it?" he asked through a swallow, motioning up and down with his hand as though he was making a screen, eyebrows furrowed, as if to ask if they understood what he meant about a reading. He took another cookie. "Like, a power level reading? So it was reading sorta high, well sorta really high, and it was heading straight here- tphmg- seems there was a being on it, or that it was an uhmpyf being, so she kinna calculated where it would land, coordinates and all that- uhmph, jazz,- and we decided to take a looksey for ourselves, 'cause- mphmg, we knew this uhm guy- well we had a sort of deadly acquaintance with this guy- who ghmph, happened to have a similar sort of, uhm, energy, and kinda did the same things- 'cause we uhmpgs, ast around in space, different planets and stuff, and gefump, they were all talkin' bout this lady who like, mpghsyf, takes planets and like, collects them, uhmpgsf, kind of- and that sounds pretty similar to our uhm, acquaintance. So, we came here to check things out."

He paused, putting his head back to take a long gulp of hot chocolate- something about his jawline, the curves of his neck, was nice, and comforting...he wiped a chocolate ring off his mouth with an arbitrary ragged back-of-the-hand swipe. "Okay, we came here, to Minato- 'cause that's where we are...if not I'm in a hella lot of trouble," he laughed to himself. He seemed not to care that his joke hadn't won anything but a smile from Minako and Usagi- he didn't seem to care, seemed to live on the fly- in truth, his laugh was a bit winded and weary, and Usagi wondered why, even though it also sounded so bold and cheerful and devil-may-care; as though to throw paper money to the highway wind. "Well," he started again, waving his hand, "we came here, and all that uhmpfgh stuff...and _everywhere we went_, we heard about these Sailor Scouts." A pleasant spark struck Usagi, and her eyebrows furrowed a bit- his voice was trustworthy, but how had he- they- figured that out, snap as that? Her thoughts and theories whirred and buzzed. "We heard about them all over the place- we actually saw you guys- we were passing by in a cab on the way to the hotel, and we caught a glimpse of you guys fighting these ah- mphgfph, snow...thingies. Snow...women, I guess."

"But how did you know it was us?" Makoto broke through irritatedley, pushing with unseen choking hands for understanding.

Goku paused; he looked them over with bright eyes, and blinked. He put half a cookie down and laughed heartily, as though to say, "well..." "Well, ah, gee, it's not really that hard to recognize you guys," he laughed, seeming to think she was joking, "I mean, like, unless you're blind or something. You're not really. Uhm, disguised." He kept laughing as faces fell among the girls; he hadn't even meant to say the "blind" comment in jest. The girls were hot with a tongue-biting feeling, thinking with embarrassment all the trouble they'd gone through trying to guess the identities of other Sailor Senshi- like Uranus, Neptune...all for this guy to say he knew who they were. He turned to Usagi. "Hey, not many girls wear their hair like that," he said, his open eyes seemed to say with a wink, as he touched his own hair as if to indicate hers; she laughed airily.

"So then," he continued, "Today we got up, had ourselves some breakfast, then got a cab to take us here." He nodded as he said it, like they were all in on the deal, and like the case was closed and stacked to the books. The conversation was awkward and stifled. It was always that stuffy kind of way, differences in truth, looking at eyes shifty even with the best intentions- it was bound to be uncomfortable.

"How did you even know we were _here_?" Rei asked, obviously annoyed and flustered by the information- or, that he had given it so simply, when it wasn't a direct matter- Usagi thought that was probably why, anyway.

"As it turns out, by luck!" Goku said with a confident smile, picking up another cookie and just shoving it in his mouth. He wiped crumbs away and his eyes were kiddish. "We were sorta passing by here, on our way to that- observatory-ish thing- I don't really know, Bulma gave us the name, and Vegeta remembered it- oh, Bulma is our-" he made that "reading" gesture again, to indicate her- "Anyway, she knew of a scientist who might know something because he lived in the area. Doesn't know him, but we made up some story." He paused an reflected on it, and a grin spread on his face. "That was a pretty funny story!" he laughed out loud- then continued through laughs. "Anyway, we would've had to give Bulma- our- y'know- physical descriptions, what we saw, and then she would have had to hack into records for people matching those descriptions- you know, 'government' records- I don't really know what that means, to be honest. Then, we saw you walking in here!" he said it like it was a shining revelation, and he pointed to Rei directly. "Pretty lucky. I remembered you," he said with a knowing eye. He reconsidered. "Well, I remembered your hair." He laughed to himself. Rei got dusted red; his comment was very direct.

"Oh, yeah, it was garbage day today," Rei answered testily; the words were vague-sounding, though. Usagi's soft glance turned to her.

"But that still leaves so much to question," Minako's raspy voice said with doubt and concern and confusion. She brought a pale, powdery hand, nails painted coral orange, to touch her neck hesitantly. "Like, why did you say 'space', before, like you have contacts in _space_? And why are you concerned- aren't you just humans, like us?" she asked, and though her voice was a bit wavering, you could tell what she was really asking, like a sly fox.

Goku paused and chewed the moment over with a cookie. He shook his head. "No, we're Saiyans from the planet Vegeta." He paused, and leaned on the table, looking thoughtful. "You know, there are so many planets in the universe! It's hard to keep track...but you guys are from outer space, too, no? Venus, Mercury, Mars- that's what that means, right?"

The girls froze; they glanced toward Artemis to know what they should say- but he was wrapped up, little bit. "Planet Vegeta," Artemis said to himself, slow as though alarmed- but he said it low enough so that the girls knew that it shouldn't be asked in front of the two men.

"...mmm, where are you from?" Minako asked, brushing over Artemis' voice, drinking from her cup. She seemed to be seriously wondering about these guys- although, her questioning wasn't harsh and prodding like Ami's and Makoto's- it was more gentle and understanding, more serious. Usagi asked nothing, was standing back and sort of looking at these guys from a distance, so she could get a clear picture. She sort of liked this Goku guy- he was like a fresh breeze- he had an open, smiling face (something just _good_ about him- his face looked pure and clean), and this _way_ about him that was just so honest and comfortable- and she could see some glimmers of kindness in him. The other one she only had vague notions of, semi-forming and jello, like clouded blobs of paint in the back of her mind- she knew only that he was quiet, and that he was sort of brooding- that he had this sort of presence like thunder and black lightning and that you could feel his blood near you, sort of disconcerting; he also looked distrustful. She leaned forward lazily, listening to Goku as he talked.

"Well, I'm from East District 409...and he's from West City," he answered, pointing his thumb to Vegeta, who had almost no reaction but a flicker of some kind of fidgety emotion that Usagi picked up on.

"...Where's that?" Chibiusa asked like a bored kid, her voice drifting, her head moving like a bobble on her palm.

Goku paused; his dark, bright eyes wandered for a minute, and he seemed to be recalling something as a smile came onto his face. "Ja...pan...?" he asked himself, smiling at his own forgetfulness. Usagi was taken aback by his answer- and she also let out this obnoxious kind of muffled chortle, shaking with laughter until Rei elbowed her in the gut. He thought harder, his rakish smile disappearing. "No, I know that's not right...Chi...na? Well, it's somewhere in this general region," he said, waving his hand around.

"..you mean...this...continent...?" Makoto asked, seemed to choke out, blinking at him as though there were something seriously wrong with him.

"Well, you say tomayto, I say tohmato," he answered, shrugging. "Besides, I only remember the important stuff!" he grinned. Vegeta seemed to invisibly cringe next to him. Usagi, Minako, and Ami let out triplet hoots and laughs at Goku's answer, and he laughed with them.

"...I would think the country you live in would be kind of...important," Rei said almost to herself, small and blind to his thoughts and opinions.

"Anyway, why are you concerned? Do you guys have, like powers? Are you very strong or something?" Makoto asked, too flustered to laugh with them. She took one of the remaining cookies to chew over as he explained.

"You don't know _anything_ about Saiyans?" the other one asked, flabbergasted and in disbelief, and his voice came as a bit of a shock, as though it had stepped in from another sphere of being, from out of the darkness and into vision and consideration, to now be considered familiar to a group of already strangers on a high neon night. It was the first time Usagi had heard his voice, and she could tell by the general reaction it was the first time the others had, too- everybody seemed to become more alert at the new sound. His voice was every bit of him physically- raspy and solemn, deep and quite hoarse, strange-sounding; with that blood, storm, wind, and thunder that was in his presence, and some quiet brooding notes. Usagi looked at him oddly for a moment.

"We're actually pret-ty strong," Goku said with confidence, breaking in just in time, so that no one had a chance to respond to Vegeta's comment and so his question was glazed over and put aside, only to be vaguely thought of as a memory to his character.

"But wait wait wait!" Makoto interrupted herself, her words coming from a whirlwind of thoughts as she shook her head, bringing a hand up to rub her temple, "How do you even know about this? This being, the comet? We knew about _a_ comet, but we couldn't _find_ any information, Ami's computer couldn't _read_ it- how do you know? And especially about the being- how did you know that? There's no way you could know that!" Those last words seemed angry and hot blooded, but only because of the rush of mad feelings and doubts that struck Makoto at times like this.

Goku's look became serious, but not _so_ serious- he still retained his usual manner, underneath the looks. "Well, about the computer seeing the comet, you'll have to ask our- Bulma about that- I don't really know anything about computers- those things creep me out," he said, and even that last funny bit was peppered in with sternness, "But as for the being,...we've trained to sense chi and power levels...it's just a skill. We can sense something coming close- especially if it's as powerful as this. Plus...we had that similar feeling when our old buddy came to Earth." He looked at Vegeta who simply looked back at him- serious as though they were exchanging a memory.

A quick pause. "I'd like to learn that skill," Minako said with a simpatico nod. Goku grinned at her, about to say something to the effect of "well I can-" when Artemis said:

"Well, tell me this- if you're Saiyans, why are you interested in saving the planet Earth?" His eyes were serious and his tone was a little bellicose. Vegeta's eyes surveyed him with weary annoyance, and Goku just tipped his head to him and blinked. Usagi knew with steel that she'd have to ask Artemis and Luna about this later.

Goku paused; his eyes drifted to the table, and they filled to the brim with humor. He ran a hand through his hair- Usagi could see he was tired for some reason, and his manner reminded her of the way you felt staying up in the late night. "...Oh my Gatos! This is like one of those cop shows," Goku said, with a quick nervous laugh. He took another cookie and clamped down on it, his face quickly covered with good-nature. "I mean, we expected questions, so we're not bothered." He laughed again. Vegeta shot him an irritated look and turned back to looking at his glove. "Right, so, I'm not from planet Vegeta- I'm from Earth. I was sent here as a baby. And Vegeta..." He looked to Vegeta, his eyes wandering as he wondered what to say, what would annoy him- anything close to "he had a change of heart" would have Vegeta smacking him in the face, barking to the group, and stomping out in a fury. He just shrugged. "Well, he lives here now...you know planet Vegeta was destroyed, right?"

Artemis started. "It was destroyed...when...?" he asked, to himself.

"That's irrelevant to you," Vegeta cut in, devoid of eagerness- his quickness was something dangerous and slashing, and his voice came up from steam and the hard earth. All eyes rested on him for another moment, cautiously.

Goku didn't know what to say; this look on his face was somewhat shrugging, though he did look at the girls with sympathy, and he paused as he waited for the next question. "Wow, you're crimefighters!" he said, with his charming, comforting laugh, as though to gloss over Vegeta's words. He looked at them and smiled. "But you're all so young! Wow, to think how you keep it all up! That's some pretty amazing stuff." He nodded.

Minako leaned onto her palm and leaned forward with a small, womanly smile, a casual look coming into her eyes. "Why, how old are _you_?" she asked.

"Me?" Goku answered, genuinely surprised. His eyes drifted into invisible space between tangible objects, behind the air in the room and into the compact emptiness, losing focus. Usagi could see his fingers moving on the table as he rested his hand there, the movement small. "Let's see...hmm, I must be-"

"Twenty-four, you're twenty-four," Vegeta answered, without his harsh anger but with an irritated tone that came from something serious in him.

"That's it! I'm twenty-four!" Goku answered brightly.

"Twenty-four? Hmm, you're young looking," Minako said teasingly, giving him that certain smile.

"Thank you," he answered, smiling. "Okay...so let me guess." He guessed their ages in order from left to right- Rei, Usagi, Chibusa, Makoto, Ami, and Minako- pointing at each one as he guessed. "You're 17, you're 16, you're 10, you're 18, you're 14, and you're...16." He paused, and then smiled boyishly. "So? Am I right?"

"No!" Minako giggled. She gave a small flirting wave of her hand and talked through it, like it was a coy flowered fan. "We're all 15 except for her- she's 16- and you guessed Chibusa's age wrong, it's-- 8!" She paused- then she got this smug grin on her face, spread on her face like spreadable cheese and tin sardine cans. "Oh my God, you guessed EVERYONE'S age wrong!" She snickered.

Goku sat back, looking on his first decisions. "Man, what a bummer," he said to himself, scratching his chin. "I guess I'm not so good at this." He looked to Usagi and regarded her with bright eyes. "But I have this funny feeling that _you_ were born in June!"

Usagi sat up and clasped her hands. "Holy crap, you're right!" she nodded enthusiastically. Makoto and Rei glanced at her for her choice of language. "Good guess! I bet _you_ were born in...April!"

Goku smiled widely, and Usagi smiled too- but then the smile disappeared, and his face became thoughtful. "Actually, I don't remember when I was born," he considered. Usagi was between laughing and looking deadpan serious, but he didn't pay attention. He looked to Rei, knowing she was the one who was in charge. "Uhm, hey, sorry, but do you have anything I could drink? I'm just a little thirsty." He rubbed his throat.

"Oh, sure," Rei said. Usagi picked something up in her tone- it was polite, but not with Rei's warmth- it was sort of distant, and in its distance Usagi could tell that she didn't trust them, and that she wasn't warming up to them. Usagi wondered why; Goku seemed so nice- and Vegeta, well, he looked a little to hot-tempered to be deceptive- and he had that look about him...She wouldn't have thought that, anyway...she watched Rei's reserved movements as she bent over the table, collecting the things. "Actually, I'm gonna put on another pot- this stuff's gotten cold already," she said as though distracted, in a motherly way, putting the cups on the tray with the pot of hot chocolate. She flicked her long dark shining hair away from her face and began out.

"Yeah," Makoto confirmed. "Thanks." Rei left the room, spun up and far away by the shroud of her thoughts, and brought to a different plane by her absence.

Usagi looked at Goku without anything in mind to say; he shifted, feeling the density of the air and the impressions he was making, and then drummed his fingers on the table. He began to look out the window, no thoughts in his eyes but a dim candle emotion...he seemed to be thinking over something, vaguely. A hasty silence wrapped up the room, some awkward hesitation; and then, in that, murmuring among the girls about the weather, meaningless distractions. Usagi sighed out loud, looking the two over; they looked alien, not in the way that they looked like martians or anything, but in the way that they looked like strangers in a foreign country. They looked like time had hunted them down and that they had no time for comfort. She wondered if their pasts had gave them that particular, strange look; wondered with anxiety if she looked that way to people. She bit a pretty nail and leaned forward; took off her jacket...only thought of that now as tense air and heat pressed on her senses.

"Where are you guys staying, again?" Minako asked, her eyes moving to them, as though falling on them with that orange star rain that often gleamed in her eyes.

"Oh, the...uhm...Shiba Park Hotel," Goku answered, his words skipping.

"Shiba Park? That's near Tokyo Tower," Makoto said, looking to Minako briefly.

Goku tilted his head. "Oh, you must mean that big red metal thing!" Goku smiled brightly, as though one of them didn't know.

"I wouldn't call it exactly _that_," Minako answered with a hoarse laugh. She looked at him with confiding eyes- Minako's flirting ways, her implications like a dusky child..."You've never been to Tokyo before?" Usagi noticed her fidget; looked down to her leg, where Artemis was scratching at her- trying to get her to think clearly and stop being so...herself.

"Nope, I don't think so," Goku answered, shaking his head. He outstretched his arm so that he could lean on the floor. He exhaled. "But, I'll tell you something, it's a big big city! And I thought West City was the biggest on earth!

"Yeah, and London and New York are big too," Minako laughed.

"London? What's that?" Goku asked. The door opened as he said it; Minako stopped her laughing short and quieted down. It was broadcast information that Rei didn't trust the two; but then, did Rei trust _anybody_ she met? Usagi wondered if this was her usual mistrust or something more.

Rei sat down where she had sat before, settling down uneasily. "The hot chocolate will be done in a minute," she said. She handed a bottle of water to Goku. "Here."

He looked up innocently at her, sensing her mood. "Aw, thanks! I'm parched!" he answered, taking it gladly- then half-downing it with one swig. "Much better." There was a pause when he was covering the bottle; his eyes flashed up to theirs, like they were in charge of the judgments passed on him. "Maybe I just eat too much," he laughed, but his laugh was underlined with a question.

Makoto leaned forward- twining her fingers together. "So, you want to help us out? Fighting this thing?" she asked, with solemn eyes.

"Well, we'll fight it regardless- but we just wanted to, you know, stop by, see if we could team up or something like that. Believe me, the more the merrier," Goku smiled. Somehow, the "we" was unfitting- and that was in the torrid torn silence of Vegeta, sitting next to him with a mask and a veil of bad feeling.

Something overlapped the words and the true meaning as the sun was only getting grayer outside; some dark tendency to gel glossed over with superficial meaning. "...London's in Europe, anyway," Minako continued, as though the question hadn't been asked, looking out the nearby window.

"Yurrup? Hmm. How far is that?" Goku asked, scratching his chin.

"Pretty far," Minako answered, with this tone like she wouldn't mind being a mama. Rei's eyes flashed to her. She seemed to have taken a liking to this Goku guy; ugh, emotions passed around so _flippantly_- Rei rolled her eyes and turned her head to something still moving to get rid of this exasperation that was choking on her.

"Why are you just _giving_ us information about yourselves?" Makoto sighed, looking at the two men as if she were fretting about it. She touched her hair, smoothed the bumps from her ponytail; looked for a cup which wasn't there.

Goku looked at her with wide dark eyes. "Well, gosh, this is the information about myself that I always give!" he laughed, admittingly. "I don't have any reason to lie or anything." He tipped his head earnestly, looking at them, wondering why he should cover it up.

"Ah! You might get in trouble!" Chibiusa answered, fidgeting on the end of the bed, sort of sitting up- finding a subject that interested her. Rei murmured "excuse me" and left the room, probably to get the hot chocolate.

Goku talked as his eyes followed Rei's figure out. "Well, in terms of trouble, I don't really have much to lose," he said with a bit of a tired smile.

Usagi turned over to lie on her back and looked at them with innocently poring eyes, the last comment hitting her like the ring of a tinny bell. Her eyes darted from bright happy Goku- to silent, agitated Vegeta, quiet but hard to ignore. They did sort of look like they didn't have much to lose- but also, that they were like Atlas.

"Ah! You're an outlaw?" Minako answered, brief and quick with emotion. "What a romantic life to lead!"

"Outlaw..." Goku considered, then looked at Vegeta.

"What are you _looking_ at me for?" Vegeta spat, quietly, and his voice rough like winter fire- his eyes cutting.

Goku shrugged. "I dunno if you'd call us that...that's kinda a bad term,- but all things considered...maybe!" He grinned, then let out a laugh.

Minako laughed with him; but, the rest of the fish were grim, and the water was cloudy to see through. Nobody seemed intent on getting to know each other- there was a tension you could cut with a knife, tangible and uncomfortable. It was something mistrusting, something deciding. Goku seemed to be waiting on questions- but you could tell the visit was almost over, and that the decision was like a tight rope pulling farther. It was the atmosphere of glasses, utensils, dishes on the table- ignored and looked through, and scarcely there, accessories to loneliness. Ami chewed over a silence with a quick comment to Minako about her hair; Minako said something aimless back...touched it with delicacy.

The door re-opened; hot chocolate on the tray, steaming up- poured cups, Rei's movements balancing carefully. She didn't bother to look at anybody, just set the tray down...then sat back down on the judge's chair. Well, nobody's a bigger baby than the judge in the high chair...Rei's eyes were shrouded by a vague politeness, but they bore through the situation in truth.

Thank-you's were clouded over the table as people reached for cups. Usagi took a hearty gulp and looked at the two strangers over the table. Goku was busy fanning his mouth, after taking too much too quick (drawling "_owww_!"); Vegeta hadn't moved an inch. He didn't even have a cup...her eyes drifted over his face for a second, but didn't get to take anything in, because his eyes shot up to hers quickly, with something stormy, and something like a burn. The look in them was quick like a blow to the face and had something elemental, and illegible...The eye contact was a shock, lightning to the nerves and she flicked her eyes away quickly. She turned to lie on her stomach as Minako ambled generously.

"Do you like the view from your room?" she asked, taking her finger from the hot chocolate and licking it, to test the heat- but also to suggest- her manner teasing as a paintbrush kiss. Rei took the moment to roll her eyes.

"Ugh, gosh, I haven't even had time to look," Goku answered, leaning back on the floor, his cup in his right hand.

Another strange pause followed. Usagi's eyes were set in earnestness. "But how can you help us?" she asked warmly, her voice seeming to break through from nowhere, to be the final question.

Goku's eyes flashed to hers with brightness and kindness. "We're pretty good at that," he said with a big smile of white teeth. The response was vague, but promising; it seemed a little confused. Usagi's mouth turned down in confusion. His turned up, his eyes seemed to wink...

His words were quickly covered by black silence- the feeling of the sun setting. Eyes were sticking close together and there was just this tensity that was difficult to maneuver through. Goku fidgeted perceptibly; gave a nice smile that flashed with perception and was inviting. "Well, we better get going, anyway," he said, trailing his sentence with a big-bellied gulp. He hacked a little bit, the hot chocolate going down along steppe ridges, with a rough time, and began to get up. "It was good talking to you all," he said, as though he affirmed their mutual friendship, in reality still nebulous. "I'll have to learn all your names!" he laughed.

"It was nice talking to you, too," Minako smiled with fury heat.

Usagi took better looks at them as they left...they were each lean and fit- both wound up in muscle, but the kind that looked lean and rippling, like hidden by skin, a secret form...Goku stood with openness and confidence- he was average height- and he seemed a little rough in his movements, but just clumsy and good-natured. Vegeta- was short! She looked him over twice- he was very short...he was Ami's height!...but still, had that look of a fugitive thought. Usagi sat up to say goodbye to them.

Goku stopped and turned to them with a look on his face that was earnest. "Remember, we're staying at the Shiba Park Hotel- call us up or something," he said, his eyes serious, looking at Rei.

"Alright, we'll remember," Rei answered, though it was obvious that that wasn't necessarily going to be true. Goku caught the tone, but ignored it whole-heartedly. "I'll see you out."

"Alright! Bye everybody!" Goku answered, waving with a cheesy smile; a chorus of goodbyes followed...Vegeta was already out the door. Rei closed the door on her way out.

Minako's eyes turned to the rest of the girls, with a vicious sort of excitement that glittered and turned hotly- she sucked a breath of air, and exhaled, "God, what a stud!" Then put her face in her hands as though it was too much for her. "What a hunk!"

"You were all over him!" Makoto laughed, heartily. The air at once felt looser and thinner, breathable. Usagi got up to get a cookie and sat down at the table, where Goku had sat. "You need to control yourself, Minako!"

"Aww, come on! Like he wasn't a total fucking hottie," Minako said with a laugh like bubbles.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Makoto laughed, punching her on the shoulder a little. "He was- but heed my warning! Rei's gonna _chew you out_ for all that flirting!"

The side of Minako's mouth pulled down. "Aw, Rei- she's got vestal virgin syndrome!" she said, jamming a cookie into her mouth.

Ami smirked a little, bemusedly. "Minako, there's no such thing!" she said, with a small laugh.

"Oh yes there is- look at Rei- or look at _all of you_! You're all hysterical _virgins_...The market is open, starting with two studs, and ya didn't even put out a bid!" Minako said heatedly, with a small shrug.

Makoto laughed a little. "You're a strange one, that's for sure, Minako," she answered. She leaned onto the table, holding her cup with ladylike fingers to capture its warmth. "But what did you think of them, honestly...?" she asked, her tone breaking off.

"Better wait till Rei gets back in the room to talk about that," Ami answered, contemplatively.

Usagi shook her head. "I like them!" she said chipperly.

The door opened; Rei got in slim, threw her hair behind her back with a winded, thinking look on her face. Violet eyes looked at nobody and everybody; she said, breathy and irritated, "If they'd given us their number, I would have thrown it out."

There were laughs and gasps. "Rei! That's so terrible!" Minako answered, aghast, like Rei'd violated a law of compassion.

"Come on! Even if they _were_ telling the truth, what help can they be? They'd just interfere!" Rei said sharply, sitting down at the table.

"Well, I think they were telling the _truth_," Makoto said, resting her hand on her neck. She paused. "I mean Goku certainly wasn't lying- but ya know...it's not a matter of them being liars- it's a matter of us trusting them."

Rei took her cup and looked down to the table, with a small frown between her eyes. "Besides," she said coolly, "They said they'd fight either way. Why should we cooperate with them?"

Ami hummed a short disagreeing noise and shrugged. "Well, they _did_ say they mapped out where the comet landed- that they could sense energy- those may be invaluable to us," she said, her tone trying to figure- weighing pros and cons.

"That's right," Minako nodded, fiery. "They seem to have a history fighting, too."

Rei looked at Minako with cool sparks in her eyes. "Oh, please," she muttered, irritatedly, "You stay out of this. You shoulda just said 'Please DO me!'" The last bit was sneered, chidingly.

"Hey!" Minako laughed, "He's alright lookin'! Besides, they have assets we can use- we can't sense energy, and we can't even find info on this comet." She shrugged and set down her cup. Rei looked at her, agitated. She shrugged. "I'm just sayin'!"

"Well CAN IT!" Rei shot back, in fury. Then she just seemed to break- her tone was hectic, flustered. "I just don't know...!" She looked despondently to the side. "Even if they're telling the truth...I mean, could you not trust that guy? Didn't you get this...good feeling from him?...but it doesn't matter! It could be a complete mistake to...let them fight with us- they might harm more than help!" She paused. "Besides...Haruka, and...they wouldn't be too happy about it..."

Usagi shrugged. "I did trust him, though..." she said as though wondering.

"What about that other one?" Rei asked, as though she had shivers. "He was so quiet! I couldn't even tell anything about him- just that he had an _attitude_ problem!"

Makoto looked up thoughtfully. "The only time he said anything was that about- uhm, that planet he was from," she though out loud. She looked at Artemis as though he was a phantom thought she'd just brought to light. "Oh ya! That's right- didn't you know something about that...?"

Artemis shuffled into a curled up position, and raised his brow. "Yes," he nodded, but paused to organize his thoughts. He turned his mouth, as though undecided. "You see, I don't know...well Vegeta is a planet, well, _was_ a planet, apparently..."

"Did it have anything to do with the Moon Kingdom?" Minako asked.

Artemis nodded. "Well, not much- we were always on guard with them. It was a nation of warriors," he said, matter-of-factly. "What they did basically was they had their own...empire, I guess you would call it- also, worked for different warlords- doing what they could do- destroying planets, populations, colonizing them..., just beat up people really, a huge planet full of bullies." His mouth turned in distaste. "If we hadn't fought with the Dark Kingdom, we would have fought with the Saiyans."

Usagi was about to ask a question, actually a rather stupid question, when Artemis exhaled and looked up at the ceiling, blowing off steam. "I just don't know what two Saiyans would want to get by saving Earth's people," he threw to the side, as though hard-pressed. "The Saiyans are aggressors...they have immense gifts but don't use them for much good- good is a relative thing, I guess, but...they did look like Saiyans. The hair and the eyes, and the coloring." He scratched behind his ear. "That Vegeta- he's named after the planet- he could be an important person."

The girls digested the information. "Well, Goku did say that he was sent here as a child- perhaps he was taken in by some Earth family and, I don't know, he decided not to destroy the planet," Makoto considered, with a small shrug. Rei looked at her, wondering if that was the answer.

Usagi sighed loudly. "I wish Luna was here to help us out," she said, with a dreamy sigh. "I don't know...they seem okay, to me...and we could always use some help..."

A collective sigh; some sort of admittance- the shifting of cups, then set aside the issue for rainy tomorrow. "Where is Luna, anyway?" Makoto asked, her tone white and spacey.

Usagi paused and looked to the window at the gray winter. "I don't know- she's been acting really funny lately," she said, as though she were pausing with the meaning of those words on her tongue, just there for taste and not for sure.

"I saw her this morning," Minako answered, then patched up the air, dove the conversation down to the day's troubles. Usagi didn't think of the issue much more, her mind just wandered.

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The air was thin and spread out like plastic across the lost, changing scenery- the dead trees reached up, brutes, claws twisted to the sky- a sky of one color. A dust like the shadow of snow was falling on the stairs as they walked down, boots on concrete, scuff and the madness, slim through city scape. Slumming down the street for a cab.

"Oh, I'm freezing," he heard Goku chattering behind him. Goku ran up to his side; Vegeta felt Goku looking at him, questioningly. "That didn't really go well," Goku said, without defeat in his voice. He paused. "They didn't really warm up to us."

Vegeta shuffled low and smoky along- dark and city sweet. "I knew it- it's nonsense- they're a bunch of children," he answered, huskily.

Goku smiled brightly. Vegeta moved away from him slightly. "They seem like good people," he said deftly.

"As though that matters," Vegeta's words cut through, stubborn and hot, a madman's smoking barrel. He looked to the street, at the gray things, those cars speeding by like cameos in a dream.

Goku's expression shrugged it off. He scratched his head while they waited at a stoplight. "Man, I don't know- they didn't seem too powerful-"

"Like dogs!" Vegeta spat, going to cross the street; then stopping shortly, making an invisible gesture to Goku that he should cross. Goku wasn't used to pedestrian life.

"...I don't know. I'd just like to help," Goku smiled, catching up to Vegeta. He exhaled quick, trying to heat himself up. "I just hope they take us up on that offer," he said, inconsequentially. He stretched his arms over his head; they'd stop. They'd fly, but this city was fucking huge, and it was a foreign language, its curves and bends were like smoke on water.

Cab's lights would come whirring through the gray and smoke soon.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The room was bare- it was sterile and impersonal, temporary and casual- but had the air of foreignness. The lights were on low, breathy and space between time; outside was pitch black; the TV was on for sound.

Goku was sitting in the low curved chair, his back to Vegeta walking out of the bathroom. "Hey, Bulma!...Yep, everything's okay," he was saying brightly. Vegeta's ears picked up on her name, that prick of sensation, familiarity- but he didn't feel anything, quickly forgot about it. "...Yeah...Oh hey, could you send us some jackets?...Yeah, of course you sent us with enough money! I was-...What's the problem?...Aww, I hate shopping, you know that!" He laughed. Vegeta sat on the bed, going over the things in his suitcase. Goku paused, fidgeted, seeming distraught. "No, of course I don't think you're my maid!...Aww Bulma, don't be sore about it--...see, that's just it- I'm not good with those things...it's a big city...Aw thanks Bulma, you're the best!...Yep, haha, always my favorite. I swear!...Ah, how is she doing?...And Gohan?...Good! Good...my size?...ah I guess just get whatever you think is good...ah, no! Ask Chi-Chi, I'm sure she knows!..."

Vegeta moved like a haze and charcoal to get a sweater from his luggage; his thoughts turned quietly, his movements subtle and low. He pulled it over his head, in his mind a ticking whir and buzz, hair ruffled. The low white electric hum of sounds of the TV made a lonely sound to echo in the back of his consciousness. There was nothing but this slight golden illumination that was half-real for slight returns and senses filled. He turned over, wanting to sleep.

When Goku finished up on the phone, he let out a long sigh, an exhalation that was hard to read, then he decided it was time for him to sleep, too.

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_A/N_: Stick around! Thanks for reading.


	2. Holdings Are in Texas

CHAPTER 2**:**

_Holdings are in Texas, and His Name is Diamond Joe_

The sun had been on the low, setting down; the difference between temperature and altitude, burning a hole in the eyes, drilling a truck to the back of the head. The air was thin and then sun was masked, sad behind long leggy stretches of gray clouds. Time was immaterial and long forgotten like patina'd notes of some strange relative to the heart, but foreign now, irrelevant now.

Neither was ached or burdened by the luggage- it was just this pollen spell of sleep that was ringing in the marrow and the skin. Getting lost hadn't helped much, either. Their eyes strained a bit to see through the mist of sleep, and itching and dried by the fast wind. Dry-eyed tears passed Goku by in a zip. "Man,...what time is it?" he asked, out of shoulder shaky tones. He was careful and semi-uncomfortable the whole trip; he knew Vegeta would be irritated if he tried to talk to him, and so kept thoughts to himself.

"I don't know. Why don't you get a watch?" Vegeta answered like a sting, looking straight ahead, trying to move some hair from his eyes.

Goku's mouth twitched- or was it turned- in dissatisfaction, puzzlement- he did expect that to be the answer, after all. He paused- then shouted over a plane, "I just don't wanna be late for check-in time, ya know? Bulma said they'd cancel our reservation! That would totally blow, huh?"

Vegeta said nothing; just ignored the chalky statements, they were smoke through his ears, garbage to his brain, just discarded. He was trying to ignore that this was Kakarot he was speaking to, tried to push it from his mind. His blood and bones were cooling with this persistent wind...but his mind and his expression was in smoke. He looked down to the land for a moment; then back up to the sky.

Goku looked to the radar. There was not even an indication yet, no blips or Christmas lights. His heart threatened to grow heavy malevolently, but he ignored its tired pressing and pushed on. They picked up the space...

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Then the sun was on the set, lowdown, and then the night like black and glowing white off of shady forms below.

"It's close, just a little bit more, actually," Goku informed Vegeta, his voice raspy with sleep and thirst.

Vegeta was so tired and almost tight on sleep that he let his head fall in a nod where he would normally ignore the words and the implications. It was cold out; he felt that way a lonesome traveler feels constantly.

It was minutes later that they touched down, in a world of fish, lilies, and lights, convex and mirror-like in its glow flow and splendor. It was like a guitar shot and wail burning through the senses. Goku was looking wide-eyed at the lights through the cold and the magic of the place, singing like fire, and he wasn't surprised to see people were looking back at him wide-eyed, because he usually got those looks when he touched down, anyway. Vegeta felt pretty much at home, but with a celestial jungle of sound and feeling shuffling him past like it did in the cities; they looked around. This should be where it was, according to the radar- on this street...Goku looked up at the tall building they were in front of, slinging his dark blue duffle bag forward. He saw different signs- in a weird sort of glowing writing- but they were in front of what looked like a restaurant. "This can't be it!" he said out loud, gave a cry, sort of, his voice slipping from tiredness and desperation for to sit.

Vegeta's eyes flashed quickly, running over the signs and words and things before him like they were cursory obstacles. People hustled by them. He whirled around, looking with tired dagger eyes. "There! It's across the street," he said, pointing to a New-York style building with a brick facade, lights golden and clean from inside and lights like pillars of water from outdoor lamps- he said it with urgency, but talked as though to himself. Goku looked in that direction and grinned. They hurried across the street, bustling with their bags, no regard for crosswalks but headed straight across, cut across a blur of people and cars. Dodging traffic...they busted straight through the doors, and into the hotel.

It was like a dream, how clean and silent this was. Goku asked Vegeta a question about his bags but only got a muffled reply, incoherent. It wasn't that important anyway...The man at the desk looked at them questioningly- they looked urgent as fugitives.

"Where's the check in?" Goku asked, loudly and confused- almost a little too loudly. Staff looked at him as though jolted. He finally saw the front desk, after turning around, like a pinwheel, looking for it. "Oh! Here!" He grinned, but the grin was cracked.

The man looked at them, taken aback- they didn't look like pampered, primmed customers- they looked road-weary, with pale faces and reddened eyes, expressions sunken in and pressured by discomfort, cold sweat on their necks and faces- wild hair. And strange outfits, he'd seen his share, but those were all strange within reason..."Hey, Sir, I have a reservation under Son?" Goku said, with his usual tone of casual kindness, comfortably dumping his bag on the desk next to a check-in log.

The man considered that they may be lying, but his confirmation should do, anyway. "Of course. Room for two, yes?" he asked, typing something in on the desk computer.

"Yeah," Goku answered, shuffling around through his duffle bag haphazardly- moving things aside recklessly, without any sense of order...another employee crept behind the desk curiously to watch what was going on with the two strangers...Goku quit looking in the bag and looked on his person- oh yeah, he kept it tied up to his belt. Chi-Chi told him to always have it _on_ him...he flipped it out triumphantly. "Okay! See, here it is," Goku said, bright star snuffed out a bit as he waved the confirmation papers in his hand wildly. Vegeta leaned on the counter, energy sucked by the light and the people.

The desk man took it as concierges and maids watched oddly from behind the desk, not really subtly, either. He glanced over it. "Alright, thank you," he said, with something weird in his voice- maybe like some askance opinion, a deliberate distance. He shuffled around for a moment..."And here...is your key," he said, handing Goku the key. Goku turned it over and looked at it curiously, with a set of eyes that was funny in its focus. He got his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and threw the confirmation paper in it.

There was an awkward mishmash of movements for a moment as the employees scrambled for something to do. "I'll help you with your bags, Sirs," the young concierge said, brown-nosing and false smiles, smiling as though to hide that he had just been staring at them.

"We're okay! Thanks anyway!" Goku answered, following Vegeta as he walked toward the gold elevator. The employees stood wide-eyed, looking at them with a mix of awe and disbelief.

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The elevator had a tinny bell that filled the awkward silence. A man with a tight posture was standing in the elevator with them; he got off a floor before them- then it was back to the tensity of each other's company. The ride up the floors was smooth like some kind of gold cream. Their floor rung up.

They got out quickly and went down silent, eerie halls- anonymous and private, seeming to be a zone where men knew nobody. The feeling of the air was sterile and quiet. They walked down a little. "...Yep! 203! This must be it!" Goku said chipperly, flashing the card key- if only to remedy the silence for himself. He fumbled with the key but managed to get it in, just as Vegeta's tight patience was beginning to itch. The door opened a portal. "Home sweet home!" Goku chimed to the dark, as they began to move into the soundless, person-less room. Vegeta moved past him and threw his bags on the nearest bed. Goku set about opening a light. "Oh my _Gatos_," Goku sighed heavily, dumping his things where he could.

"Ugh!" Vegeta let out, threw himself sideways on the bed- feeling disgusting, like smoke and smog was itching on his face, in his eyes- and with an aching chant for rest, a dull song. He lay motionless for a quick moment- but dragged himself up to wash up. Kakarot was making some kind of inane noise...he splashed water over his face, trying to forget about some things he was thinking...then went back into the room. Kakarot looked at him with that stupid expression of conversation as though he were about to say something, but he looked away and went to bed. He wanted to shower, but fuck it for today.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Shit, Goku was looking through the fridge, a mad rummaging- moving aside little bottles of water and piles of packaged mints- where was the food?...he could feel his own stomach, an empty sick pit, cold circular wrongway turning. A sick salt came up into his throat. "Oomf," he sighed, sitting back- like he'd been knocked down by the force of his hunger. He swallowed hard to get rid of that salty feeling...

He inhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair in flustered defeat. He stood up, wondering why Chi-Chi hadn't packed any snacks for him,...but the thought was brief. He moved quietly to make his way out the door, picking up the card key on the way from the chair he'd tossed it on- pulled on his undershirt. Silence and sleep- sun just falling up like a gem through the white curtains- he moved in tandem with these things. He was just about to close the door, when he remembered that ghost, money- rushed back in, trying to forget his stomach with the mechanics of a persistent jog- money in fist, rushed to the elevator. A man and woman with big bags were waiting in lay of love at the elevator, stopping a hurried tense conversation as a third party came. Goku bit his fingernail, watching the elevator.

"Man, this is taking forever!" he said out loud, in wonderment, and rushed to the stairs. The couple looked at each other as he ran down the hall into oblivion, resumed kissing when they saw the door to the stairs flapped like a turning fan.

He skipped most of the stairs, jumping down each flight like a mix of a feather and a madman and an electric OD lightbulb...he couldn't wait to find some store where he could just eat himself into a mindless oblivion- the thought crossed his mind...too much. He could control his appetite, only for so long, though.

He exhaled sharply, a triumph sound, when he reached the last door...bullcharged right through it, into the cream lobby. Couple of people were bustling, maids were hustling with curses on their breaths, the desk man busy with the phone...wind outside by the look of some girl's hair.

And through the straight slat glass doors, out onto those pearl gray streets where noise was dim in the mix. From the sidewalk breathed a hint of warmth after the winter- the first green baby breaths of the soil. The nipping cold was still there, but it was a breezy thing, something he felt but not hardcore to the brain. Some girl smiled at him as he floundered the streets- he just smiled back...It felt nice, to be in a new place- a heady mix of misdirection and magic in being lost.

He rounded the corner, eyes up and twisting his ring absentmindedly. He saw a woman in a fuzzy hat eating a handroll as she fluttered out of a pressure door. He could probably get something decent in here- the sign above was fast and skimming, seemed to glow- he walked in, saw it similar to those convenience stores in West City, with their generic, still-standing racks of items...he passed by aisles of magazines with inviting girls on the cover, action figures with stuck expressions of shock and anger...racks of music. At the back there was the food- it was always that way- he sighed in relief as he came to that sterile back, food racked up and hung.

This store sure did have a lot- he looked around to see if anyone was as surprised as him- but nobody was, everybody seemed reticently unfazed. He looked through the selection, grabbing whatever he though would taste good- boxes of tempura, handrolls, cold flickering rainbows of sushi, rice balls. Jeez. "Holy crap!" he exclaimed to himself.

An older woman looked at him curiously. "It's a great selection," he laughed nervously, and she smiled an all-knowing smile, very mysterious.

He'd probably go back to the hotel and start out breakfast there. He carried boxes and boxes of food to the young boy at the register. "Would you...like a bag?" the boy asked, trying to seem like he didn't think anything at all of all the food Goku was buying.

"Okay," Goku answered, fiddling with his money.

Then in a happy flash, came out of the store with bags in his hand and a satisfied look on his face- apart from the rueful dog expression of hunger before. He rebounded the corner, wondering passingly if he knew the way back home. Didn't really matter, for he could sniff his way around, would find it eventually...

He passed a man with whitebleach hair, almost bumped into him with scattered thoughts, when he heard an awkward and fearsome sound from somewhere nearby. People's heads turned up and looked, but their faces were only either surprised or unfazed. He stopped short- knowing that kind of sound could only mean a dog's fear, and some kind of trouble. Without thinking twice, he ran in its direction- bags still in hand, slightly left- as the screaming rang on.

Somewhere near an alley he knew he'd never get there in time at this pace- with this sea of walrus people- and so he touched off the ground, moving high near the roofs of buildings, hoping he'd spot something from this distance. He saw people pointing to him with a mix of awe and crazy stun, and he rushed off, trying to pinpoint which island was making this sound in this thick sea of people.

He neared the scene- he could tell because people were running, yelling things like "Police!...Police!..." and talking hurriedly on phones to a rapid beat of frantic fury. He heard ripping sounds; a shrill voice on the air, riding with the traffic- and some terse statements by a girl, the rapping of feet and the shock gut sound of fighting and blows. The screaming lessened a bit, but only into shocked crying out...he touched down, near a man with brown hair and a briefcase.

The man stopped, moving awkwardly, like he'd been jolted, when Goku touched down in front of him. He looked into the sky, looking for an answer- maybe a rescue cable or something, maybe this guy was with SWAT- he didn't know, couldn't tell because his own thoughts were flustered. "Hey! Am I near?" Goku asked, urgently- with that chopped up speech you use when there's not much time.

The man nodded eagerly, pointing behind him. "Yes, it's there, hurry Sir," assuming he was from a special rescue force- he was wearing blue, after all...

"Okay," Goku answered, half-blindly, running past him. The sounds were drowned out, muffled by new sounds...Goku ran to an area that was spotless, free of people- like they had scattered. He looked around frankly- there was a woman, holding her purse and crying with a shocked expression- there was a man near her calling somebody on a cell phone...but no aggressor in sight.

A man with a baseball cap was watching, and the picture would have been perfected with a huge bucket of popcorn lazy in his hand. Goku looked at him- he was smiling. "Hey, uh, what happened here? Am I too late...?" Goku asked, puzzled, moving toward the man.

The guy nodded with a dogged smile- thinking that Goku was a spectator like himself. "Man, you shoulda seen it! It was fuckin' awesome!"

Goku cocked his head, confused. "Awesome? What happened?" he asked, shocked at the man's easygoing tone.

The man nodded and smiled. "Well, that lady was being robbed," he said, nodding toward her, "And then she was all screaming- I came out of the music store wondering what was going on- people ran all _crazy_, looking for this, calling for that- then, like out of nowhere- one of the Sailor Scouts came! And you know how it goes from there...man she made quick meat out of him, dude. She was-"

Goku paused. "What's a Sailor Scout?" he asked, genially.

The man balked, but his expression smeared over. "Oh, you're from out of town! I get it- hey, they're this group of crimefighters in the city. They take out all the bad guys, man- class A superheros." He paused to scratch his chin in thought. "I think it was- uhmm. Which one wears orange. Mars? Yeah, that's it, Sailor Mars, with the orange suit," he nodded. "She's got a pair of legs, man. Too bad you didn't get to see it!"

Goku paused, looking at the shocked woman, sobbing into her sleeve. "Hmm. I guess it's all okay, then, huh?" he asked absently.

"Yep, but I'm sure the police'll be here soon enough," he said, over his dark glasses, "In which case I'm totally fuckin' stuck to this spot. This city's like an action movie, man. Arnold fucking Schwarzenegger."

Goku nodded, wondering about these crimefighters. Maybe they were like Super Man. Maybe they were like Mr. Satan. He said a short goodbye to the man and began to make his way to the hotel.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

His hair was still wet; he ran a hand through it, feeling over through the cool damp. He moved things around arbitrarily- looking for some fake sugar...The phone had rung once or twice this morning; he hadn't picked it up though he knew who it was. His ears perked when he heard the click of the lock and the squeal of the door opening, and his eyes flashed to the door to make sure it was only Kakarot...

Kakarot had that usual _look_ on his face, carrying two plastic bags. "Gee, it's hot in here!" he exclaimed cheerfully, looking around the room. "Morning Sleeping Beauty!" he said with a crooked smile.

"Morning you beast," Vegeta answered, coolly through the side of his mouth, finally finding some pink packets behind the coffee machine.

Kakarot moved roughly to the chair and threw his food down on the table- he seemed to be following something he'd only just gotten around to. He looked curiously up at Vegeta through a mouthful of food. "Hey Vegeta," he asked, "Watchya drinkin?"

"Swallow before you talk!" Vegeta snapped, frowning at the sound of Kakarot's muffled words.

Kakarot swallowed loudly, maybe a bit mockingly. Vegeta looked at him with lightning eyes. He smiled sheepishly. "Watchya drinkin', anyway?"

"Coffee," Vegeta answered, terse and rough, walking with his cup over to his bed- more like slinking over, anyway, with his usual mannerisms...

Kakarot vacuumed up some food- Vegeta sat on his bed, back facing him. "Hey Vegeta," Kakarot said, with the tone that he used when he thought something was necessary- so that he wouldn't annoy Vegeta. "I heard about some crimefighters who live in this city."

"What, you just heard of police?" Vegeta asked over his shoulder, seriously thinking that.

Kakarot laughed a little, but not with his grand mirth. "Nah, I mean like superheros, that kind of thing!" he answered.

Vegeta turned the idea over in his mind, but disregarded it quickly, thinking it meaningless, and refusing the idea partially because it came from Kakarot. "Think we should check it out?" Kakarot asked earnestly.

Vegeta's mind rung with thoughts. How could- it was the difference between Kakarot and Goku- how could someone be so professionally an aberration- a difficulty- stupidity? How could one person so stunningly irritate him? He glanced at the things on the foot of the bed like a smokestack. "Do whatever you like, Kakarot- I don't care," he said, and he meant it.

Silence from Kakarot- settled muffled into dejected quiet, aside from the plastic rustling of movement at the table. Vegeta's fingers moved, a nervous tick, without his warranting; he smoothed back his hair and looked not so far into nearby and the lightning of thought.

The phone rung and sent a bullet of heat clear through his senses. He chose to ignore its significance, what it meant, that shock of warmth in familiar feeling- took a long gulp of his coffee, flame in throat. The chime was harkening. Gel in heart, ghost shivers. He heard Kakarot move to pick up the phone. "Hello?...Oh, hi, Bulma!" He took another long gulp, this time around seeming a last attempt. His eyes looked down, seemed to look down a tunnel of blackness inside himself.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Along the beach there was a scientist he must be suffering with the sand and frost that whispered off the water in a death cold time like this. Bulma mentioned his name to Goku, told him in her usual dogged tone that they should visit him so they could see if he knew anything about a comet heading toward Tokyo. Goku took notes diligently. She also asked if Vegeta was around, with a tone of odd curiosity that was hidden beneath layers of subtle tricking words. Goku said yes; she didn't harp on the matter.

Sundown, sleep like dew even in the tight clutch of the city lights, then waking up after sunrise...on the foreign powder morning, like waking up to an unknown view, Goku suggested they check out the observatory, or sleuth the city looking for answers in its nooks. Vegeta made some half-agreement and started getting ready while Goku waited, sitting on the bed, skimming over travel brochures with half-interest.

Goku stirred, moving forward a bit on the bed, covered in sun and yet still that sterile stationary scent. "Hey, Vegeta," Goku called slyly, as Vegeta walked by with shaving cream on his face, moving low and looking for his razor.

"What?" he answered, moving some spilled things from his bags aside, backhanding them like they meant nothing.

Goku raised his eyebrows and slapped on a silly grin. "Apparently the room we're staying in offers an 'intimate atmosphere'," he read, like it was some kind of secret. He smiled to himself, holding back a laugh and expecting some kinda snappy bark from Vegeta.

There was a short pause. Goku's eyes flicked up to Vegeta. He had his razor in hand, but seemed to stop short- seemed to be looking at something. "Kakarot."

It seemed as though there was something wrong. "Yeah?" Goku asked, sitting up.

"Can I see that?" Vegeta asked calmly, holding out his hand.

"Uh sure," Goku answered, handing him the brochure.

Vegeta took it, looked down at it softly, and without an expression ripped it in half- "Hey!" Goku cried, as Vegeta moved to the window, and with a flick of the wrist threw the torn glossy pieces out into the breeze, out to the dumpster pale beige alley below. "_Next time_," Vegeta warned, sharply, his flame eyes focused on Kakarot, "Don't bother me with your inanities!"

Goku sat up in protest, turning to Vegeta as he walked by. "Hey, now, come on, you don't have to be such a-!" he started, in a strong voice of objection, but was cut off by the affected _slamming_ of the bathroom door. He stopped himself short, confused and irritated at how Vegeta could be so difficult- but in the midst of feeling the heat of anger, he cooled, collapsed into laughter, falling over on the bed and clutching his empty pit stomach.

Then, though he'd pulled that joke, sufficed to irritate Vegeta with that little prank, he had to sit there bored and hungry for twenty more minutes- counting by the invisible threads of thought, clockhand going backward, only distracted by the arbitrary sound of water running from behind that locked door. A slash of light hit the floor when the door opened. They left the room with only Kakarot's informative mutterings trailing on the scene behind them.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Wintry, outside; the street wound up in powder white and the gray of steel and trains, the tar dark gray that wound up and filled out the skeleton with flesh, roseing and delicately living. There was this freight train romance to the streets that rose up in the swirling mist from under spinning tires, spun in the air, off to the cold gray sky. Today was colored white and gray. Vegeta could feel those first reverie wet drops on his nose like a sudden touch, and looked up to the sky with quick fleeting eyes- it began to snow, dust and talcum. A breath of ice caressed his skin as though it were a good thing- he should have brought a jacket, _dem_ feckin' cold...that hard hearted touch, as though it were gentle...

They checked shit out by air, above those gloomy romance streets...it was a feeling of impending gloom, that stuffy feeling of privacy lost, whenever that bad sense of power hit them from far off, not too far off, in black space. There were no concrete foundations- every feeling slipped off the changing turf of intuition, malleable grounds. The only fact was their sensing power coming straight to Tokyo- like the pinnacle force of an onyx spear, it was heady destiny that was funneling down from out there, and it could only have dreadful affirmation in that quick exchange of the heavy glance- when eyes when lightning behind them connected and confirmed a truth made of iron, like a wall.

Sometimes to feel it was uncomfortable, and they would have to distract themselves to keep a clear head. "How long do you think it'll be, at that rate?" Goku asked Vegeta, a casual throwback, spinning around once like a torpedo, sailing past a pretending green park.

"I don't know. Days," Vegeta huffed back, in a voice like choking on smoke. His eyes, cool and cloudy, rested on the dark sea to the left. He had this feeling about the ocean- that something was residing there, building beneath the waves, some kind of giant crustacean whose skin was the same as the ocean floor. It wasn't as material, tangible, as sensing a power level, it was just this feeling he had that rose in him when he looked to the shore.

Goku moved with ease like he slept on the clouds. "Hmm. I wish we could get _some_ kind of starting point," he said, lazy and fussy all at once- his tone picked up that broad feeling of a smile it usually had. "It's frustrating that I know about it but I don't know...enough, anyway."

"Well, I don't see _why_ you should do your useless crying to me," Vegeta snapped back, roughly, taking a hesitant hand to smooth back his hair. "What good is it to _say_ it?"

Goku sighed and focused happy eyes elsewhere- he was used to Vegeta's way of talking, after all, and the awkward abrasive of Vegeta's words wasn't surprising to him that much. He let out a loud exhalation. "Man, am I hungry!" he said over the turning sounds of life. He eyed Vegeta subtly. "Don't you just wish you could be sitting down right in front of a huge meal right now?...Bah, I sure do."

Vegeta's silence was taut and veiled but it was brief. "No- unlike _you_, I can't waste any _time_ lazing around," he spat, like the words were thick with blood. He couldn't- at every moment he felt that gloomy hand of time descending upon him, creeping up behind him. But then his mind rang with a familiar sensation, and a gut feeling wrenched up to his throat, the feeling of a trembling black sickeness- then why, in all of it, was Kakarot still stronger?, the feeling asked. He didn't know. His words were just wisps of smoke that gave way and cleared the path for distraction- fake. He turned himself upside-down and pushed on faster, trying to distract himself from thinking that way. His eyes fell on the sky, quickly and hazily, as though it was a stranger.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

They decided there was nothing much else to look for, and that scientist would have to wait for later- maybe tomorrow. Goku scratched his head tersely and then swept his hand back lowdown near his hip, in a movement that fell like night and deathbed light- a kind of movement that made ya see why girls liked him. "Hey- uh, Vegeta- you uhm, remember the way back to the hotel?" he asked, timidly, his voice small over the passing wind, adding a nervous laugh.

Vegeta's quick eyes flickered to Kakarot. "You idiot, how am _I_ supposed to know?!" he bayed over stretches of blue and cool.

"Sorry! I forgot," Goku laughed, sucking in air.

Vegeta began to descend over the park, breathing cheap and scanning over the land. Goku blinked at his form, lowering rapidly through breaking clouds, but he followed him down. "Hey- uh, are you going to ask for directions?" Goku asked, with a tone that was earnest- like he was unsure of the plan, but was pretty accepting that it would work.

"_No_-- I'm getting a cab," Vegeta answered cold, fog, and smoke, the words disjointed. Goku nodded, letting out a breathy "oh," as they cut through cold air. The snow was sifting down again, slow and delicate, but its touch made Goku shiver to the bone, made the hair on his neck stiffen. His teeth chattered involuntarily- he noticed the snow wasn't sticking, that the grass was still that early-spring patched up pastel green- but man, it was shivering, too. He followed Vegeta's shaky path down until they touched down in some cool bushes, beyond the eye of anyone who didn't care.

Sticks and stones, the passing events of strolling people on the winding paths- they began out of the park to get on that gloomy high sidewalk. They walked along, picked stems out of the bunch, and went by appearing to people like strange memories. They did look different, for sure...Kakarot got a friendly smile once in a while, teasing smile, and Vegeta got the call of cat's eyes that were feminine perfume in the dark, but neither paid much attention. Sometimes a glance, sometimes just a rush by. "Oh my Gatos," Kakarot breathed out loud, following a churning crying noise from the pit of his stomach.

Hailing a cab turned into a series of subconscious images that Vegeta quickly forgot, mixed in with this snow...it shouldn't be snowing, after all. But it didn't matter. They got into the spinning cab as it kicked up its heels to the beat of the slick street. They shuffled in. "The Shiba Park Hotel," Vegeta said as he got in, the words tossed casually up to the driver.

The car started off smooth. Trees and people rushed by, as though in a tunnel of wind. Goku and Vegeta spent the ride quietly, staring out opposite windows, thinking opposite thoughts- Goku with quiet friendly eyes looking at the wonder of the people and the city, and in the back of his mind, about what he'd like to eat, and Vegeta thinking usual pressing thoughts and observing...the driver struck up a short conversation with Goku, and Vegeta ignored the congenial words.

From parks and houses, sitting familiar and lost on them, to big buildings- shining windows, the bustle of a modern square. As the peace of the lazy suburbs passed out of mind and the glow of the city began, there was a dark glow that began to buzz in their minds- Vegeta gave Kakarot a quick glance, and Kakarot's eyes were the same. There was something nearby- traffic was held up in front of them, and the taxi slowed to a crawl, but there was something close- it was a jumbled, tossed together amalgam of high and low power levels, of energies scattered and then compressed to focus.

"What's that?" Goku asked, almost to himself, leaning up seriously on the back of the driver's seat to try and see up ahead, past the madding crowd. His eyes flicked back to Vegeta. "A fight, ya?"

Vegeta leaned forward similarly, elbows on his knees. "Seems so," he answered tensely.

The driver stopped to an almost unbearable halt. "Aww, man, what's the holdup?" Goku cried in frustration, wanting to get to the fight.

"The _holdup_ is what we're sensing you idiot," Vegeta grumbled, trying to ignore his blood building up as he sat like a duck on the water.

Goku gave him a sheepish smile and turned to the driver, said, "Hey, what's the matter up there?"

"Seems like an accident," the driver said tentatively, from the corner of his mouth.

"Dammit,-- is there any way _around_ it?" Vegeta asked, like a command, fidgeting under the pressure. He felt a drop in energy- something had been finished like smoke on water. Someone innocent? someone with bloody hands? His thoughts halted as the car pushed on ahead of the light.

They could see and feel the forms of energy ahead- Goku's eyes shot open wide when he saw still-halted people, cars, cased in ice- "What the--?" he gaped, almost leaping back to the back seat to lean over Vegeta to see what was going on, in a leapfrog movement that hurled his body over the seat and straight over Vegeta.

"Get off me Kakarot!" Vegeta barked, pushing Goku off him with a hurried, flashy movement.

"Hey-I-can't-_see_!!" Goku whined, a cross between a drawl and urgency, pushing Vegeta back into the seat so he could see, but not too much.

Vegeta's senses turned bright red and his mind was shot like lightning. He shoved Kakarot into the back of the passenger seat, and Kakarot let out a surprised "oof!" as he slammed into the seat. "Fine you moron! Stay here but DON'T- touch- me!" he yelled, his voice hoarse, and snapped his eyes back to the sidewalk. There were...two girls and one woman who looked made of snow- only differentiating in the slopes of her carved features. One girl had shock pink hair, a child- the other long blonde hair, tied up- before they got a chance to clearly see them fighting, the cab wheeled by at a new picked up speed, passing the scene as the blonde girl's posture bucked up, her arm outstretched as though she were to fight the other one...Vegeta and Goku's eyes looked back to her as she- but then there was no more, it was too far.

"Hey stop!" Goku pleaded, turning wiry to the driver.

The driver shook his head. "No, I can't, let the Sailor Scouts take care of it- look somebody's calling the cops," he pointed out, nodding toward a frantic woman standing across the street.

Goku simmered down, realizing the cab driver wouldn't stop- relaxed in his place leaning over Vegeta. More girls were fighting up ahead, clearing out of the street in time for a passing car. A girl sending out a beam of sharp, cutting light- her blonde hair moved behind her like wind passed through it as she shot it out of her finger, extended like a gun. Chi? That was some gun..."Hey, look!" he almost yelled, stumbling so that he could point to the girl.

"Get the fuck off me!" Vegeta exclaimed, vaguely stressed.

Goku paid no attention and looked over the girls in wonder. The one who had just shot that razor light- she was wearing orange, near a tall girl with a big frame in green- a girl in blue trapping a white creature in a net of slow bubbles. "Hey, that's pretty amazing!" Goku laughed like a child. Nearby there was a girl whose face he couldn't see- with a long stream of fire-black hair that gave off glaring brown hues in the bright winter sun. Her hair was shining, was like a death gun, could blind passers-by with its shocking color, the way it threw off drops of sun. It looked like fire. The cab rolled by, the people becoming smaller, and the effect of the cliffhanger setting in.

Goku bounced off place and back into his seat. "Wow, that's pretty cool," he let out. His eyes settled and then flashed curiously to Vegeta, sitting silent in his own place. "-I think _those_ are the girls I was talking about."

Vegeta said nothing. Goku sighed pleasantly and started again, in his usual amiable ramble. "You know, I think we should check it out- try to see if we can't team up or something," he said, as though he were confiding it to Vegeta. He laughed to himself. "After all, more is better than less, as we know it, huh?" Vegeta was silent again. Goku wondered fleetingly why Vegeta never answered him. He leaned back in his seat. "I mentioned it to Bulma anyway, and she said we should- just in case, ya know?" He closed his eyes as if to sleep and leaned his chin down. Sometimes, it felt like he was talking to himself...

It wasn't as though the sun was setting just yet- but it seemed like those lights, like Christmas fish in the ocean, were beginning to come out like dew, and the feeling of the night was breathing up even without its drape. It was another five minutes to the hotel...Goku's stomach roared even over the sounds of traffic and the news report radio that mumbled jumbled conversations low like ocean surf. God was he hungry! He hadn't eaten all day...

The dark blue was draped in a copper tone, and the sun would be setting soon. Vegeta sorted out the fare and got out after Kakarot, to find him beginning to walk down the sidewalk, away from the hotel. "What are you doing?" Vegeta asked gruffly, semi-following him with a step like black leather.

Goku turned around swiftly, and gave a windy smile. "Oh, I'mma- go get something to eat," he answered, gesturing confusedly to the open road. The cab cut by, kicking up moisture, making a sound like a razor.

A mist fell on Vegeta as it sped through the wet street. It sent a cool whisper like death up his bones. "There are restaurants inside the hotel," he replied, like it was the solution, and began to walk to the gold-lit doors.

"Oh for serious! Man! I'm psyched!" Goku bubbled, running to follow Vegeta with a laugh. He eyed him confidently and seemed to smile. Vegeta's eyes seemed a mix of determined, and yet with effort, empty of thought- just filled with greyscale intuition. "Say- are you gonna eat _with_ me?" Goku asked slyly. "And here I was, thinking you hated me." He smiled sheepishly.

"Don't flatter yourself," Vegeta answered curtly. The doors swung open...

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The next morning was white blinds through a city- that feeling of gum you get waking up, and always that empty sound of a hotel room. They went downstairs to have a silent breakfast, then headed out for to find the scientist.

Their story was that they were Chet Atkins and Dr. Baker from Houston, Texas and they had just been alerted of a huge comet and, as they were touring in Tokyo for the East-Meets-West Rodeo, they took this chance to use the scientist's findings, as the comet was nearby. Rehearsing it to himself Goku fucked the words, couldn't remember that they were from Texas, laughed every time he introduced himself as "Doctor-" he'd say, "...Atkins, and I'm Doctor-" but it would end there in a violent flurry of pig laughs, then apologies to Vegeta, who was expected to listen to the half-speech every time Goku felt to say it, just to "get his lines right."

People moved around them like they were slick with morning dew. Utensils and murmured conversation, back-of-the-mind shadows moving like a dream. Goku watched people with appreciation, observing them happily. But at their table, it was silence- Vegeta had picked up a newspaper and was sort of skimming things, but more just looking at the pictures and filling in the blanks. Goku tried to pretend it didn't matter that they didn't talk and was eating all the things he'd picked out, childlike in his deliberation.

After breakfast they went out to get a cab- onto the cold street. Bulma'd be sending those jackets, but Goku's bones would burn and diminish to dust, disintegrate in this burning cold before they would come. He looked at Vegeta, wondering if he was cold. Didn't seem to be. Seemed to be made of fleeced blood. Then again, he was wearing that blue sweater- _jeezis_, these were the consequences underpacking!...he shattered to the bone.

Vegeta was taking his time getting a cab- letting some pass by, occasionally stepping forward. Goku in the desperate cold let out a loud whistle, waved his hands like a moron to feel like he was doing something, then Vegeta got a cab and they got in like outlaws.

Something in the sun was like a sleeping potion, it made the air heavy. The sun lit up dust floating in the cab, and the driver was silent as a statue. Vegeta told him the address, or the location, whichever. The two of them fell between sleeping in the back like bummed kids.

The cab whirled through the suburbs quick. Goku shook from sleep and looked out the window, veiled by golden sun. Trees looked like clouds and the sidewalks were lined in yellow but also vague and empty- sleepy peace. The car muttered slowly by a corner property, purring slow behind a landscaping truck, people in back...place had _tall_ steps, ga_zillions_ of fuckin' steps, what a chore it must be to walk up _those_ every day...a figure came down them delicate in shadowy motions, a girl with long black hair- wearing light pants, a dark orange sweater...he glanced curiously. She lifted the lid off a garbage can by the curb, dumped something in with a marked effort...turned around. She had this determined look that was strange- this look like fire, but also something else that was less bold. Her hair was very pretty- it hung behind her, seemed to flow and envy, black and shining, glittering in the winter sun: like a slow burning flame, onyx, like ink.

He'd seen that hair before...he sat up groggily, leaning against the door. Oh-! That was one of those girls! He opened his mouth as though to say something, as though she could hear- but she just turned and started in, that great hair flashing brightly. He settled back in his chair and stared at the back of the driver's seat. The landscaping truck turned up the left lane. The car began to sail again, and past the houses- traveling maybe two blocks.

"Hey, Vegeta," Goku started, seemingly from out of nowhere. They passed by a school that was just letting out, kids hungry for the air.

"What is it?" Vegeta grunted through half-sleep.

Goku paused tentatively, sort of sleepy himself. He looked out the window at the block they were whirling by, without even a tear to shed on the passing company. "I think I saw one of those girls back there," he said tentatively.

Vegeta paused- seemed short and glossed over, like he was trying to remember. "What girls?" he asked shortly.

"Those uh- those crimefighting girls," Goku answered, scratching his head.

Vegeta made a quick movement, turning around to look out the back window. "...How far back?" he asked, trying to break heavy sleep. He shook the headache off his head, didn't seem to succeed with that.

Goku paused- he thought for a moment. "Like, four blocks or so back," he answered; then watched a corner flush by. "Five."

Vegeta's eyes flashed and he slowly turned to look out the back window. "You fucking moron," he said, voice cracking, "Are you a fool? Why didn't you say anything you imbecile?!"

"Uh- I don't really know- hey Sir could you turn around for us?" Goku asked up front, doing his best to dodge the barrage of names Vegeta hurled to him, like dodging paintballs.

"Wha? Where, though?" the driver asked as though asking the plan from a child. His hands spun out a u-turn at the next corner.

Goku paused, then finished up that silence with a strange gesture, motion with his hands. "That uhm. That big corner property- it was three blocks- uhm four- back, and it had very big steps-"

"Oh the shrine?"

Goku caught the driver's coffee eye through the window and let out a big sunny side-up laugh. "Well, I guess we'll see! Take us _there_," he answered, as though to strike up the orchestra. The car didn't even stop once; but there weren't any expectations whirling around in this sunny air. Goku didn't know what the anticipate; Vegeta had vague predictions, but they were only flashes of light that would shape the character of the meeting.

And then after it, they were stuck- a disheartening gesture and the flicker of mistrustful eyes laid down an impression that wasn't too good for the future. Goku knew they would try to face it anyway- but the obstacle of others was a challenge he knew too well, and it could damage any plans you had for sunshine. He wondered at them, and wondered what sort of trouble their conclusions could present.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Luna wasn't here. Luna was gone in these days, and even when she was there it was hardly being there- she seemed to be living inside her own eyes. Usagi was lost without Luna; not completely, but Luna's guiding hand was a comfort for her to fall back on.

The girls walked on the streets of Tokyo, looking not any different from citizens around them; Usagi had a box of hot chocolates from the street, listened to the girl's conversations.

"You know- it's really _friggin'_ hard to concentrate on exams when I have to worry about a comet, my effing rent, beings from outer space,...I don't know." Makoto's voice grinded in stress, her hair blew across her face from the harsh wind.

"Tell Luna to stop being in love already," Chibiusa whined in a heavy drawl.

Usagi nodded approvingly and popped another chocolate into her mouth. Rei's eyes became stolid. "I keep sensing things- like I keep having this weird flashes of images, but nothing ever happens, and it's so vague," she said. "All these distractions, they make it hard..." The words were said as though she could only feel them with the tip of her tongue.

"What's up, Mako? Something the matter with your rent?" Usagi asked, concerned.

Makoto's eyes paused; she looked to find words to say, looked to the side in shade. "Nah, nothing out of the usual- but I just- it's hard to juggle it all, is what I'm saying," she answered, looking curiously to Usagi.

"You're telling me- my mom keeps nagging me to get a job, clean my room, study- I'm like..._Ma_, I can't fight crime and get a job, too!" Minako slurred, sloppily.

Rei rolled her violet eyes. "And yet, Makoto can do it," she replied.

Minako laughed nervously. "Well, y'know, Makoto's so tough- and I'm- well-"

"Is 'not' the word you're looking for?" Rei grumbled.

Minako looked around for some kind of support to lean on, under Rei's hot gaze- she looked to Usagi. "Well, you _see_," she began, matter of factly, leaning on Usagi, (while Usagi glanced suspiciously at her) "Me and Usagi, we're- well we're not like Ami, who's so smart and who has an understanding ma- or Makoto, who uhm is so able to support herself and so naturally tough, and well-endowed so that she can get a job- and certainly not like _you_, Rei, in that we're not able to deceive ourselves and be totally in denial like you-"

"You moron!" Rei yelled, the side of her hand landing a dull blow on the back of Minako's neck. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth gave the hint of a pout. "That's so- that has nothing to do with anything! And how am I in denial?!"

"'I'm Rei and there's nothing really bad about what we're dealing with'," Minako imitated in a grungy, manly voice. She grinned evilly. "_That's _how you're in denial, see?"

Usagi stifled a laugh behind one of her pastries and Makoto bit her lip; Ami let out a soft chuckle. Chibiusa wondered why everyone older than her was so immature, in her own semi-adult viewpoint. "Why me, anyhow?" Usagi interrupted thoughtfully. "Why is it I'm always the post to lean on? That's not fair!"

"Oh shut up, meatball brain," Rei hissed, "You think everything's about _you_!"

"You jerk!" Usagi answered, as though her feelings were really actually hurt.

Minako laughed. "But really Rei, you're so fucking in denial that you can't even _see_ it. That's how you know you're in denial!" Rei steamed, but reconsidered hitting her again. Because it just might make her stupider.

"You and your mouth!" Makoto chided.

In between the words and the sounds there had been some cacophony sounding ahead- noises that howled out of disorganization, and fear of. The girls had only vaguely picked up on it, but as they came ahead, it was clear something was wrong- at first it seemed maybe like a traffic jam, some sort of ruckus about one of those everyday city things- but there were scratchy voices sounding scared, and those were the noises that tipped the balance.

Usagi's blue baby eyes looked up ahead, as though she doubted that scene in front of her. "Hey, is there something happening up there?" she asked, pointing, shoving the box of chocolates under one arm.

"I don't know," Rei answered, quick to lead and always first in line, "It just sounded like some regular thing at first...but somebody's- let's just wait and see." The girls gave a tacit, intangible nod- a nod to waiting, but then through that, they saw a blast of snow shoot up from the sidewalk, and alarmed eyes reconsidered it.

Usagi began to run ahead. "I think-" she began, running toward it.

"Hey dummy, you gonna put down your box or are you gonna try and fight with it?" Rei barked, from behind.

Usagi stopped and looked at it like it was a child as the looming overpass shaded her figure. She could...nah, she couldn't. She ran ahead with it still under her arm.

"That moron!" she heard Rei's voice shrill in disbelief, even as she and the others tried to catch up.

"Oh God," Minako said, suddenly next to Usagi- able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, "_I think_ it's _another_ one of those _annoying _snow women." She let out a grueling, agitated sigh. Usagi looked at her, wondering how she could know; Minako pointed ahead. Usagi's eyes darted, and saw a blast of snow and ice wrap its spider cold veins around the corner of a building.

"I think you're right," Usagi said flatly. Her eyes flattened at the prospect. Another exciting battle with a screeching monster. Great. But her annoyance was overtaken by the overwhelming sensation of dangerous urgency tingling in her nerves- she saw a moving form, suddenly stop its blood, and be enraptured in the blue cold. By now half the crowd would be have their motions stopped by the cold...

A woman running away from the scene with a confused-eyed child bumped into Usagi, her side hitting Usagi's little frame like the dull sideswipe of a truck- she stumbled back, but Minako broke her fall. "That's so rude," Minako yelled back at the woman, "I hope you can sleep at night knowing you just broke her leg!"

"Hey watch it!" she heard Makoto yell from behind.

"It's okay, she was running away," Usagi answered, harried, trying to be civil even in her annoyance.

She heard flashes and commands behind her- the others were getting made-up to fight already. Usagi didn't even remember that she _should_ transform- completely forgot about it in the mist of her urgent thoughts. Her instincts were so hotly intent on getting there that she forgot about all those practical little things.

City scenes and dead trees passed by in a whirl; cars screeched and rattled and hummed down the slick streets, trying to find a way out, drivers intent on getting home and out of this mess. Minako bounded across the street, over a purple ricer, and hurried to the chaos that was just in front of her. Usagi ran across, almost getting hit by a sedan whose driver probably had a heart attack when she bounded clumsily to the other side. Aneurysm gasps were heard behind her- Rei almost shot out of the group to help her, but when she saw Usagi get across safely, scuffling like a baby rabbit, blind to the trouble she'd almost gotten herself into, her blood rose to a boil and she became hot and angry instead of worried. Usagi looked so small and strange, running across the street in such a hurry...

By the time she'd gotten there Minako was letting out blinding metal whips and chains across the snow woman's body, chipping dents in its body, trying to either ensnare it or whittle it down; but the snow woman recognized a pattern, and began to dodge her chain like it was a game. She saw Usagi, standing defiantly with her box of chocolates, like she was ready to fight, and rushed toward her, ducked the chain like a hawk, her eyes were hungry and grinning like a maniac's, and she was looking forward to encasing the girl in ice. Usagi was taken aback, and fear making her stupid and comic, she stepped back, stumbled to avoid it.

Minako followed the snow woman's trail, but her eyes went on red alert when she saw it swooping down toward Usagi. In a clumsy yet determined motion, she flicked the chain, managed to whip the thing across the back and dent it considerably. A shriek like the night was being attacked, and the snow woman tried to pursue her path, but Minako flogged her insistently, and finally caught her in a trap, swirling the chain around the things- uhm, legs, or whatever they were. "Usagi! Go- do it!" Minako said, thrifty on words.

Usagi nodded, thanking Minako with a profuse heart on the inside, and then hitched up the box of chocolates to get her brooch out. "Moon--ah--Cosmic--Power--Make Up!" she commanded, a little distracted by the movement of the chain.

What seemed like eons of pink and light to her was really only a strange, lit up second for outside eyes; she brought her left hand up to one of the buns on top of her head, just to make sure. Minako's harried eyes shot to Usagi a little semi-worried. Usagi coughed from the cold and began, "Stop right the-"

"Sailor Moon, come on!" Minako interrupted, her chain beginning to show signs of stress as the snow woman wriggled and fought its grasp. Minako needed a finishing blow before the chain's hold broke.

"Oh, okay," Usagi answered. She brought her free hand up to grab her tiara- the Moon Spiral was not as convenient, nor was it practical at the moment- didn't have that quick-fix-me up, handy action that the tiara had. Saying those words over to herself, she lifted it off carefully. Its clear, defined lines vanished- it shot up light in her hand, glowed and turned with bright firefly auras. She wondered where the others were, a fleeting thought, as she aimed carefully, trying to concentrate over Minako's grunts and exclamations. She brought the tiara at an angle behind her back, and then with a side swipe, a flick of the wrist, released it, and watched uneasily as it wandered, meandered, down its path...

She watched it, and then a feeling of dread came over her when she saw...

The glowing tiara whooshed by the monster and broke directly through the chain, cutting it like a razor, breaking through its light, and then hurling back to her. The links of light were released from each other, and Usagi's eyes widened, her expression dropped, her heart grew into a completely nervous frenzy- it just _sailed right on through_, and the mark was so obvious and clear that it made it look like she was _aiming_ for the chain- it was like- it was so, just, _clear_. The other side of the light chain fell and vanished, and the side Minako held was suspended in the air. Usagi's eyes blinked incredulously.

Minako looked in disbelief for a moment, at the chain that was held in the air, and the pieces that had broke off. Her mouth held open for a moment. "Oh my God!- You fucking broke my goddamn fucking chain!" she yelled, in disbelief, beside herself, staring at the chain.

"I'm- oh God- I'm so sorry!" Usagi laughed, not believing what had just happened.

The snow woman whirled around, spun a bit, backed up, seemed to be only now feeling that she was freed and could move. She set an angry glance to Minako that in her hatred looked a bit like envy, and swished toward her deftly. Usagi groped for her tiara, so that she might send it flying toward the snow woman- hurriedly she did, but as it sailed through the air the snow woman had overtaken Minako, had blocked the possibility of any movement on Minako's part, and pinned her done, blew an icy breath around her frame. Usagi in a mix of fright and desperation whirled around, looked for Rei and the others...somewhere down the last street, she saw a group of men in uniform holding them back, as Rei shouted angrily, and Makoto pleaded desperately, and Ami shook her head, looking over the policeman's shoulder to see what was going on. Chibiusa was trying to squeeze past- she could see her pink hair from a mile away-, but a policewoman kept her firmly in place, seemed to be lecturing her.

Usagi looked frantically back to Minako, only to find her pinned to her spot by darts of ice- gelled over, she looked to Usagi with worry. "Sailor Moon! Watch out!" she yelled, though the snow woman wasn't coming toward her, trying to struggle out of the ice.

Usagi's blood rose to her head and she was even feeling dizzy, that strange hot feeling you get in times of danger, when the circumstances are closing in on you and it's up to you to change the setting. The snow dancer was suspended in the air, shooting a series of icy beams toward her- Usagi ran scared, like she was out of her mind, running a weird pattern through the snow and beams. She slipped once, her boot heel scuffing, but she got up just as quick and started a mad run again. She sent her tiara at the snow woman, but she was too deft; she knew what to dodge and how to dodge it. Usagi gave up on the tiara and focused on fucking _running_. The snow woman seemed dissatisfied; she looked with a featureless pout to the shining windows of the building to her left, where a man with glasses was gaping in terror. She iced that window, took care of that; and while she wasn't looking irritatedly at Usagi, she took the opportunity to whip out the Moon Rod and sent a flurry of death hearts at her.

She went through those movements, but just as she was letting it out, the snow woman glanced at her- _swooped_ down in a movement that said, "oh no you fucking _di'n't_", and rushed at Usagi with such a disheartening crazy movement that Usagi was distracted and backed up, without even finishing the attack. She heard Minako inhale a gasp, in wonder and shock, and the snow woman came down on her and she almost seized her with a claw of a hand, and she heard Rei shout, "US- Sailor Moon!" in a way that was sure to surprise everyone around her, and Usagi clutched her box of chocolates tightly as though it would help to ease the situation-- and seemed to close her eyes, shut tight-

Then to cut through the sensations, to cut through that span of scene that seemed so set and flashing with primary colors bounding from the grooves, a shriek from the snow woman; sounded like something had come upon her from out of the night, from the peripherals. Usagi opened one eye slowly, her expression small and surprised, like a little girl's. The snow woman let out a guttural cry as if she was choking on the muscle of her own throat. She saw an arm strung like a flash, a fleck, of paint over the monster's neck; saw the white pressure rise into the skin as the grip was tighter. The snow woman's hands shot up clumsily to try and pry the arm off, and behind her a man with familiar hair jostled in surprise- familiar voices, but then again, sound had seemed to cease, seemed to be sucked up and blotted out by the color of the forms and the white light of the winter sun.

The snow woman's features were twisted in despair; absentmindedly Usagi brushed something off her skirt, and watched as a ball- or a disc- of light and energy, raw in its look, shot from below. It was thrown at an angle, shot up like a frisbee, and in a flash and a burst it slyly _chopped off_ the snow woman's lower half, fuckin' _slicing it_ at an angle, like you would cut asparagus. Usagi's surprised baby eyes flashed to the sidewalk, and she looked for the source of it. She saw a man- oh hey one of those guys!...that one, Vegeta- he was standing, sort of cagily, like he was on an odd balance, looking up with urgency at the snow woman.

The snow woman shrieked some more, in wounded pride and surprise, and as her lower half fell to the ground it shook off snow dust that fell like powder on Usagi's nose, and she white flakes fall on Vegeta's hair. She stood up, slowly, a little shakily, and looked up to the woman; she looked with anger at whoever was holding her- Usagi was thinking it was maybe Goku, but her thoughts were vague and running away from her in the excitement, anyway, she couldn't get them down- and then with fire eyes, sunk her icy teeth into his wrist. "OWCH!" Usagi heard him whine, and in surprise he let go.

The monster raged, seemed to swim through the air with the crazy twists and turns of a mad dragon, and looked at Goku with hate. His form was tentative in the air; then the snow woman made a move at him, tried to push him or hit him or something like that, and he dodged it, moving toward the ground so he could land on the sidewalk. And it seemed as though at the moment his feet touched the ground, he whirled around and his hand glowed, seemed to throw off a frosted light- the snow woman looked for him, then sent killing eyes on him- but he made a movement like death itself, a short and quick movement of his arm, sparing nothing, a quick and tense movement that was bold and necessary...and from his hand a ball of light, blue in color, was tossed at the snow woman. She had no time to react; no luck today. With a weird spaceship noise it made impact, then light flashed; and then disintegration.

Light flashed, energy busted. With another deft movement- the movement of a desperate man- Goku turned to Usagi, and something strange was in his expression- his urgent eyes seemed to say to her, "And now? Do you trust us?" Usagi stared back dumbly, the ice began to melt.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

_A/N_: Okay, well, notes; one, I keep calling it a "snow woman" or a "monster" because Im pretty sure they havent found out its name already. Like. You cant go up to somebody in the street and go, "Oh my God! Joe William DePaolo, how _are_ you?" Shit dont happen that way, neh? Also I dont know what the names of those things Usagis eating are. Also I had her use the tiara attack because I think its stupid to only have one attack. And I didnt say "moon tiara action" because like. I dont know. Its kind of redundant and corny and superheroish.

So? Can anyone guess the secret pairing?

Thanks for reading!


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